Solar panel cost in 2026
A fair cash price is about $3.00 per watt before incentives nationally, roughly $21,000 for a 7 kW system. Here's what to expect in your state, and how to tell whether a quote is fair.
What the price benchmarks say
- $3.0/W: median cash price for homeowner-owned systems installed in 2025 (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory).
- $2.57/W: median quote on the EnergySage marketplace, first half of 2026 (competitive quotes, smaller sample of installers).
- $4.5/W: median for loan-financed systems in 2025 (LBNL). The gap is mostly dealer fees.
- ~$1,100/kWh: installed battery storage.
We use a cash benchmark adjusted for each state, then add a fixed soft-cost component so small systems cost more per watt, as they do in real quotes.
Cost by state and system size
Cash price before incentives. Select a column to sort.
| State | $/W (7 kW) | 4 kW | 6 kW | 8 kW | 10 kW | 12 kW | Recorded median $/W* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $3.60 | $15,900 | $22,100 | $28,300 | $34,500 | $40,700 | — |
| Alaska | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Arizona | $2.60 | $11,900 | $16,100 | $20,300 | $24,500 | $28,700 | $3.57 |
| Arkansas | $2.75 | $12,500 | $17,000 | $21,500 | $26,000 | $30,500 | — |
| California | $2.90 | $13,100 | $17,900 | $22,700 | $27,500 | $32,300 | $4.51 |
| Colorado | $3.05 | $13,700 | $18,800 | $23,900 | $29,000 | $34,100 | — |
| Connecticut | $3.10 | $13,900 | $19,100 | $24,300 | $29,500 | $34,700 | $3.10 |
| Delaware | $3.05 | $13,700 | $18,800 | $23,900 | $29,000 | $34,100 | — |
| District of Columbia | $3.65 | $16,100 | $22,400 | $28,700 | $35,000 | $41,300 | — |
| Florida | $2.45 | $11,300 | $15,200 | $19,100 | $23,000 | $26,900 | $4.00 |
| Georgia | $2.90 | $13,100 | $17,900 | $22,700 | $27,500 | $32,300 | — |
| Hawaii | $4.00 | $17,500 | $24,500 | $31,500 | $38,500 | $45,500 | — |
| Idaho | $3.45 | $15,300 | $21,200 | $27,100 | $33,000 | $38,900 | — |
| Illinois | $3.40 | $15,100 | $20,900 | $26,700 | $32,500 | $38,300 | — |
| Indiana | $3.05 | $13,700 | $18,800 | $23,900 | $29,000 | $34,100 | — |
| Iowa | $3.75 | $16,500 | $23,000 | $29,500 | $36,000 | $42,500 | — |
| Kansas | $3.05 | $13,700 | $18,800 | $23,900 | $29,000 | $34,100 | — |
| Kentucky | $2.85 | $12,900 | $17,600 | $22,300 | $27,000 | $31,700 | — |
| Louisiana | $2.65 | $12,100 | $16,400 | $20,700 | $25,000 | $29,300 | — |
| Maine | $3.35 | $14,900 | $20,600 | $26,300 | $32,000 | $37,700 | — |
| Maryland | $2.95 | $13,300 | $18,200 | $23,100 | $28,000 | $32,900 | — |
| Massachusetts | $3.35 | $14,900 | $20,600 | $26,300 | $32,000 | $37,700 | $3.74 |
| Michigan | $3.30 | $14,700 | $20,300 | $25,900 | $31,500 | $37,100 | — |
| Minnesota | $3.75 | $16,500 | $23,000 | $29,500 | $36,000 | $42,500 | — |
| Mississippi | $2.65 | $12,100 | $16,400 | $20,700 | $25,000 | $29,300 | — |
| Missouri | $2.85 | $12,900 | $17,600 | $22,300 | $27,000 | $31,700 | — |
| Montana | $2.90 | $13,100 | $17,900 | $22,700 | $27,500 | $32,300 | — |
| Nebraska | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Nevada | $2.70 | $12,300 | $16,700 | $21,100 | $25,500 | $29,900 | — |
| New Hampshire | $3.30 | $14,700 | $20,300 | $25,900 | $31,500 | $37,100 | $3.90 |
| New Jersey | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| New Mexico | $2.90 | $13,100 | $17,900 | $22,700 | $27,500 | $32,300 | $4.38 |
| New York | $3.20 | $14,300 | $19,700 | $25,100 | $30,500 | $35,900 | $3.95 |
| North Carolina | $2.85 | $12,900 | $17,600 | $22,300 | $27,000 | $31,700 | — |
| North Dakota | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Ohio | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Oklahoma | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Oregon | $2.80 | $12,700 | $17,300 | $21,900 | $26,500 | $31,100 | $3.59 |
| Pennsylvania | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Rhode Island | $3.20 | $14,300 | $19,700 | $25,100 | $30,500 | $35,900 | $3.89 |
| South Carolina | $2.95 | $13,300 | $18,200 | $23,100 | $28,000 | $32,900 | — |
| South Dakota | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Tennessee | $3.60 | $15,900 | $22,100 | $28,300 | $34,500 | $40,700 | — |
| Texas | $2.60 | $11,900 | $16,100 | $20,300 | $24,500 | $28,700 | $4.09 |
| Utah | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Vermont | $3.20 | $14,300 | $19,700 | $25,100 | $30,500 | $35,900 | — |
| Virginia | $2.95 | $13,300 | $18,200 | $23,100 | $28,000 | $32,900 | — |
| Washington | $2.85 | $12,900 | $17,600 | $22,300 | $27,000 | $31,700 | — |
| West Virginia | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
| Wisconsin | $3.50 | $15,500 | $21,500 | $27,500 | $33,500 | $39,500 | $3.73 |
| Wyoming | $3.00 | $13,500 | $18,500 | $23,500 | $28,500 | $33,500 | — |
*Median price per watt for homeowner-owned residential systems recorded since 2024 in LBNL Tracking the Sun and state interconnection data, where available. Recorded prices include loan dealer fees and vary by data source.
What drives the price
- System size: fixed costs make small systems pricier per watt.
- Financing: loan dealer fees often add 10–30%.
- Equipment: premium panels, microinverters or batteries cost more.
- Roof and electrical work: steep or tile roofs, main panel upgrades and trenching add cost.
- Sales model: door-to-door and national brands often carry higher overhead than local installers.
Read our full cost guide and what counts as a good price per watt, then put your quotes side by side in the quote comparison.
Questions
How much do solar panels cost in 2026?
A typical cash price is about $3.00 per watt before incentives, or about $21,000 for a 7 kW system. Marketplace quotes often come in lower (EnergySage reported a $2.57/W median for the first half of 2026), while loan-financed systems in public records average about $4.50/W because of dealer fees.
Is there still a federal tax credit for solar?
Not for homeowners who buy. The 30% residential credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Lease and PPA providers can still claim a business credit.
Why do smaller systems cost more per watt?
Permits, design, inspection, interconnection and sales costs are roughly fixed, so they are spread over fewer watts on a small system.
How much does a solar battery add?
Installed batteries run about $1,100 per kWh of capacity, so a 13.5 kWh battery adds roughly $15,000 before any incentives.